Enetki Defence‘s DELİCAN UAV, a low-altitude Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), has demonstrated fully autonomous operations from a moving naval platform during operational trials aboard a frigate travelling at 20 knots.
During the trials, DELİCAN UAV autonomously took off from the deck of the frigate and completed an assigned Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission without operator intervention. The UAV subsequently returned to the vessel, navigating to its updated position after the frigate had moved from its original location.
The system autonomously managed the approach to the moving frigate before successfully landing on the deck, demonstrating its ability to complete the full mission cycle from a maritime platform. This included takeoff, transit to the mission area, route following, mission execution, return navigation and landing.
The trials were conducted aboard the Gabya-class frigate TCG Gökçeada and highlighted DELİCAN’s suitability for missions requiring autonomous aerial capabilities from naval vessels. The ability to launch and recover from a moving surface platform can provide naval units with an additional means of gathering tactical intelligence and maintaining awareness of their surrounding environment.
DELİCAN is designed to support naval operations through capabilities including ISR, threat detection and tracking, force protection and battlespace awareness. Its VTOL configuration allows it to operate without requiring a conventional runway or launch infrastructure, supporting deployment from constrained maritime platforms.
The UAV has a maximum takeoff weight of 32kgs, including a payload capacity of 2.5kg. It can reach a maximum speed of 108 km/h and has an endurance of more than three hours. The system has a communication range exceeding 40 kilometres and requires approximately 20 minutes of preparation by two operators before deployment.
The autonomous maritime trials demonstrate how DELİCAN can combine VTOL operation, extended endurance and autonomous navigation to provide naval forces with an aerial platform capable of operating independently from moving vessels.
